Friday, September 08, 2006

Is the degree worth it?

Most freshmen are still on their early college honeymoon. Still meeting new people, making new friends, mastering what seems to be at first glance a manageable homework load. But I suspect that by week five, the bubble will burst. Bright-eyed students will soon gain the glassy glare of the sleep deprived. And in moments of weakness, some may begin to wonder if all the work—academic blood, sweat and tears—is worth it. I mean, the lure of a regular pay check and easier life style may be hard to resist.

For those future moments of weakness, print out and tape to your cell phone the following:

YES YESYES it is and will be more than worth the effort to start and complete the task.

The degree is worth every sleepless night, every missed social opportunity, every day of student poverty. And it’s worth it for more than strictly personal reasons, of which there are admittedly many (more on that in the coming days).

Yesterday’s New York Times ran an article—Report Finds U.S. Students Lagging in Finishing College—which should sound an alarm bell for every person in Congress. We can’t keep up as a nation without an educated work force. Seems obvious but evidently not obvious for a national outcry.

That’s probably further than I want to go in this first blog after my extended blog-drought. And it’s on a global scale which few of us can impact. At least today.

So back to my, at this point, happy freshmen. When week five hits, keep the goal in mind and persevere. Listen to your Aunt Bonnie. You’ll be glad you did.